Our Story

Established in 1950 by Dr. Stuart Fuller, Arcata Animal Hospital first started caring for local pets under the name Arcata Animal Clinic. In 1943, Dr. Fuller began his career in veterinary medicine as a large animal veterinarian, practicing out of his garage. He was one of only 2 veterinarians working in the entire county at that time. Towards the end of his career, Dr. Fuller treated small animals only.

When Arcata Animal Clinic was built, it had no phone service for 3 months. Dr. Fuller’s wife received phone calls at their residence, and she would hang a red flag outside for a runner to see so they could notify Dr. Fuller of the call.

In 1968, Dr. Fuller had a new hospital built behind the original location, which had been converted into an accounting firm. In the early 1970s, Dr. Leslie Douglas purchased the clinic from Dr. Fuller and practiced veterinary medicine there until 1989. That year, Dr. Jeri Lou Oliphant bought the clinic and renamed it Arcata Animal Hospital. In March 2004, she relocated the practice to its present location at 1300 Giuntoli Lane. In September of 2015, she sold the practice to Dr. Joy Fox-Beaudet.

Arcata Animal Hospital is proud to have been a fixture in Arcata for almost 70 years. We hope to continue serving the pets of Arcata and surrounding areas for another 70 years and more!

We Are AAHA Accredited

Arcata Animal Hospital is proud to currently be the only AAHA-accredited veterinary practice in Humboldt county. This means that we meet or exceed the highest standards in pet medicine. Our animal hospital has been evaluated on approximately 900 stringent standards of veterinary excellence. We must undergo a rigorous review by veterinary experts every 3 years, in order to maintain our AAHA status. Only 12-15% of animal hospitals in the US can claim this distinction, and we’re extremely proud to be one of them.

Our pets deserve nothing less than the very best care. Every day, our goal is to treat our patients like our very own family members. We strive to instill confidence in our clients so they know they’re making the right decisions for their pets. Our AAHA accreditation means we are committed to putting pets and their owners first, every time they walk through our doors. That’s a promise.

To learn more about AAHA and why accreditation is so important, visit www.aaha.org. If you have any questions about how our AAHA accreditation helps you and your pet, give us a call at 707-822-2402. We’d love to speak with you!

Words from the Heart

so nice and respectful to my rat!! lots of places don't respect rats as pets but they were very kind and respectful to me and tulip and we had a great visit!! definitely coming back

Olivia M.

Arcata Animal Hospital has always been my first choice. Everyone is always so kind and very knowledgeable. From helping my puppy many years ago, to helping my bunny recuperate from ileus, they have been the best.

Chryste J.

Amazing hospital with top of the line staff that make you feel like family. Your pet WILL be taken care of by the best staff, I've personally seen how attentive and devoted the doctors and staff are. AAH rocks ! I haven't found another vet hospital that compares to this one.